The Zoom A3 Acoustic Guitar Preamp and Effects Processor Pedal allows players to restore the natural tone of their acoustic guitars while continuing to use pickup systems for amplification. In addition to being a powerful acoustic preamp, the Zoom A3 offers unrivaled acoustic remodeling features, amazing acoustic effects and much more for crafting acoustic guitar sounds for both live and studio applications.

Pickup systems are the most popular option for amplifying acoustic guitars on stage, however most are unable to capture the unique tone of each instrument. As a result, different guitars can take on similar flat, electric-acoustic characteristics and they all sound the same when amplified or plugged into a PA. That’s where the Zoom A3 pedal comes in!

Elements of design
Within a heavy duty, die-cast body, the Zoom A3 acoustic pedal features a main EFFECT footswitch, two secondary footswitches (ANTI FEEDBACK and BOOST), as well as a large LCD and a variety of analog-style cursor keys and parameter knobs that together form an easy-to-use graphical interface. This intuitive design makes restoring the tone of your acoustic guitar, as well as creating and saving new acoustic tones, a breeze and provides easy navigation in live and studio settings.

Restore your sound
By selecting the body and model type of the guitar that you’re playing, you can restore the true sound of your acoustic guitar. The A3 pedal offers presets for 16 body types and 28 models that simulate the sonic characteristics of various acoustic guitars with different body shapes and constructed of different materials.

16 Body Types
The Zoom A3 allows you to choose from 16 guitar body types to re-create the signature sounds of differing body shapes. From the Dreadnought body setting, which generates a large tone full of rich low frequencies, to the Orchestra body setting, featuring an outstanding response and tonal balance, the A3 has the ability to remodel the sonic qualities of a wide range of unique body types.

28 Models
The A3 also has the ability to recreate the distinct sound components of 28 of the world’s most famous acoustic guitars. The A3 pedal even accounts for the subtlest of differences between these models. The pedal accurately recreates the tone differences between guitars with the same body shape, but different bracing or wood from which they are made (spruce, mahogany, rosewood, etc.).

Acoustic preamp for both pickups and mics
The A3’s pre-amp, specifically designed for acoustic guitars, can be used with piezoelectric, magnetic and passive pickups. In addition, the pedal’s XLR-1/4-inch combination Mic input, which can provide phantom power, allows you to connect a mic and mix its signal with that of your pickup via dedicated knobs. The Zoom A3’s pre-amp also features a 3-band EQ for adjusting your guitar tone according to your performance environment and a BALANCE knob to set the ratio of the original sound (DRY) and the sound after adding effects (WET).

40 acoustic effects
With a focus on spatial effects, including chorus, delay and reverb, the Zoom A3 offers 40 diverse types of acoustic effects to enhance the sound of your guitar. Effects range from compressors that suppress input peaks and even out sound levels to detuning effects that create the sound of a 12-string guitars and everything in between. With the A3, you can use up to two effects and one acoustic guitar model simultaneously and arrange them in any order you like. You to create and store up to 20 original patches on the A3.

Eliminate feedback on up to three frequencies simultaneously
If you experience feedback from your acoustic guitar during a performance, just engage the A3’s ANTI FEEDBACK footswitch. While keeping changes to your tone to a minimum, the ANTI FEEDBACK function will detect the frequency that is causing the feedback and eliminate it with a steep filter. Later, if you experience additional feedback, just hit the footswitch again. The ANTI FEEDBACK function can handle up to three problematic frequencies at once.

Boost your sound up to 12dB
The A3 acoustic pedal’s BOOST function can be used to reduce volume differences between fingerpicking, chord strokes and other playing techniques, as well as to increase amplification during solos. The pedal can provide a clean boost of up to 12dB. You can also use the TONE parameter to adjust the sound of the level increase when the BOOST is active.

The most realistic sounds to date
The ZFX-IV DSP effects processor boasts amazing power and clarity, upgrading everything from sound to functionality and operability over previous ZFX versions. By using 32-bit floating-point processing, the Zoom A3 can produce sounds that are more realistic than ever before.

Stereo or headphone outThe Zoom A3 features two 1/4-inch outputs that allow you to maximize the characteristics of the pedal’s stereo effects and record them using line level connections. In addition, you can connect headphones directly to the A3 and listen to your tones no matter where you are.

Precise tuning
The pedal’s auto-chromatic tuner offers smooth, real-time response with precise bass tuning and accuracy. Whether you’re in the middle of a performance or practicing alone, simply hold down the pedal’s footswitch to start getting your strings back in tune. In addition, the A3’s LCD makes the tuner easy to see on a dark stage. You can also tune silently in the tuner’s MUTE mode or with all effects bypassed in its BYPASS mode.

Pick your patch order
With the A3 pedal, you can program which patches are recalled and the order in which they appear. For example, you could select three patches—(A) ARPEGGIO, (B) RHYTHM and (C) SOLO—and program the A3 to cycle through only those three tones each time you press the footswitch.

Balanced XLR output for DI use
With the pedal’s balanced XLR output, you can avoid using DI boxes completely. Just connect the A3 to any mixing console to maintain a balanced, high quality signal. The pedal’s GROUND switch can also be used to eliminate hum caused by ground loops

Dedicated pickup input
Piezoelectric pickups tend to capture high frequencies far better than the lows, giving you a thin sound. On the other hand, magnetic pickups allow the low end to dominate your tone and produce more of an electric sound. The Zoom A3 features a pickup input to compensate for frequency ranges that are lost or overemphasized by your pickups. As such, the A3 can optimize your tone according to the pickup characteristics of you guitar.

This zoom A3 is a fascinating little unit. It's functionality is equal to its user friendly interface. Everything I ever wanted for my acoustic guitar is now at my feet. So many acoustic amps don't have compression and it is an essential effect for evening out excesses in certain frequencies particular to the acoustic guitar. The 40 effects are stunning and absolutely quiet. The deep editing that is available on each of the 40 effects is impressive. I feel as though I just got $2000 worth of equipment for 200! AMS was right on time and it was well packaged

Rich Johnson

Product Rating

Subject

Seems to work well

What is your opinion of this product?

Bought this unit as an "open box" or "blemished" item. When I received it, I couldn't fine any marks on it, or problems with the unit. So many features on it that I haven't been able to go through every aspect, but so far seems to work well, in both live and recording situations.

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